Elastomeric compositions based on supramolecular polymer assemblies are known, for example, from US 2009062551 (ARKEMA FRANCE). This application discloses a material comprising at least one molecule with a molecular mass from 9 to 9000 g/mol, in particular a molecule derived from fatty acids, namely saturated or unsaturated carboxylic acids containing at least five carbon atoms, such as linear or branched diacids, and dimers or trimers of fatty acids of plant origin. Each molecule comprises at least three associative functional groups which allow to form intermolecular bonds; in particular, this prior art document discloses associative functional groups able to form hydrogen bonds. These materials become fluid above a certain temperature and, upon cooling, they exhibit again the properties of rubber elasticity and are said to be self-repairing. US 2009062521 does not disclose groups that contain ionisable groups able to form intermolecular ionic bonds.
WO 2010/000715 (SOLVAY SOLEXIS SPA) discloses compositions for imparting grease, oil- and water-repellence to substrates; the compositions comprise at least a (per)fluoropolyether derivative which contains at least one fluorinated block and at least one urethane block of formula:—OC(O)—NH—E—NH—C(O)O—wherein E is a divalent hydrocarbon group, optionally comprising one or more aromatic rings. The fluorinated block may contain at least one functional block comprising at least one ionisable group, like a sulfonic acid group, a carboxy group or an amino group. This document does not disclose or suggest compositions comprising (per)fluoropolyether derivatives with opposite charges, i.e. at least one (per)fluoropolyether derivative comprising fluorinated blocks containing at least one ionisable anionic group and at least one (per)fluoropolyether derivative comprising fluorinated blocks containing at least one ionisable cationic group in a defined ratio of ionic equivalents. Furthermore, the compositions disclosed in this document do not form materials endowed with elastomeric and/or self-healing properties.
WO 2008/138927 (SOLVAY SOLEXIS SPA) relates to fluorinated polyurethane compositions for imparting water- and oil-repellence and soil release properties to textile substrates. The polyurethane is a (per)fluoropolyether urethane comprising at least one fluorinated block and at least one functional block, wherein the functional block contains at least one ionisable group. The urethane moiety joining the fluorinated block and the functional block together complies with formula:—OC(O)—NH—E—NH—C(O)O—wherein E is a divalent hydrocarbon group, optionally comprising one or more aromatic rings. Similarly to WO 2010/000715, WO 2008/138927 does not disclose or suggest to prepare compositions based on (per)fluoropolyether polyurethanes with functional blocks having opposite charges in a defined ratio of ionic equivalents.
WO 2007/102993 (3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES CO) relates to surface active block copolymers, their use in the manufacture of a foam composition and articles comprising the polymerised foam composition. The fluorinated block polymers comprise a (per)fluorinated block and may also contain functional blocks typically having one or more polar groups, such as carboxy, sulphonic or amino groups. Neither the description, nor the examples specifically disclose or suggest compositions comprising block copolymers containing functional blocks having opposite charges in a defined ratio of ionic equivalents.
WO 2010/028226 (ARROWSTAR LLC) discloses compositions for imparting water and oil repellency to fibers, the compositions comprising a fluorinated polyurethane having a plurality of ionisable groups. This document discloses in particular a mixture of a cationic fluorinated polyurethane, namely Fluorolink® 5032 polyurethane, and an anionic fluorinated polyurethane, namely Fluorolink® P56 polyurethane; the compositions further comprise an acrylic polymer and are in the liquid form. Example 2, in particular, discloses a composition containing 8.8% by weight Fluorolink® 5032 polyurethane and 30.0% by weight Fluorolink® P56 polyurethane. From the Applicant's calculations, it appears that the two polymers are not present in a stoichiometric equivalent ratio of ionic groups with opposite charges. Indeed, the equivalent weight of Fluorolink® 5032 polyurethane is 0.25 eq/kg and the equivalent weight of Fluorolink® P56 polyurethane is 0.49 eq/kg; accordingly, in the compositions of example 2, the equivalent ratio between Fluorolink® 5032 polyurethane and Fluorolink® P56 polyurethane is calculated to be 0.2, while the equivalent ratio between Fluorolink® P56 polyurethane and Fluorolink® 5032 polyurethane is calculated to be 6.7.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,457 (HITACHI) relates to a magnetic recording medium having a lubricant layer comprising ionically interbonded fluoropolyethers with acidic and basic terminal groups; preferably, each fluoropolyether has at least two acidic terminal groups or basic terminal groups in one molecule. According to a specific embodiment, the fluoropolyether containing acidic terminal groups complies with formulaHO2C(CF2O)n(CF2CF2O)mCF2CO2H,wherein m and n are integers, while the perfluoropolyether containing basic terminal groups complies with formula H2NHCH2CHNO2C(CF2O)n(CF2CF2O)mCF2CO2NHCH2CH2NH2,where m and n are integers. U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,457 does not disclose or suggests polymer mixtures based on fluoropolyethers containing recurring fluoropolyether blocks and recurring cationic or anionic blocks wherein at least one of the cationic or anionic blocks is between two fluoropolyether blocks.